System To Be Installed At 20 Airports Nationwide
Acting Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) Administrator Robert Sturgell announced Monday
new initiatives designed to improve runway safety at busy US
airports, including the installation of Runway Status Lights at
major airports across the country. The agency expects to award a
contract this fall to install the system at 20 additional airports
over the next three years.
"Severe runway incursions are down," said Sturgell. "And,
we’re putting technology and procedures in place to keep it
that way. We’re making changes on the runway and in the
cockpit that are going to make a significant difference."
The lights warn pilots when it is unsafe to cross or enter a
runway, and are currently being tested at Dallas Ft. Worth and San
Diego International Airports. Runway status lights are schedule to
be deployed at Atlanta, Baltimore Washington International, Boston,
Charlotte, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Dulles, Ft.
Lauderdale, Houston Intercontinental, John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia,
Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Newark, O’Hare, Orlando,
Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle airports.
Sturgell also announced the FAA will provide up to $5
million to test in-cockpit displays that increase runway safety.
The funding will cover technology that includes either an aural
runway alerting system that lets pilots know where they are on the
runways they are entering, crossing, or departing; or an electronic
flight bag, which is an electronic display system that gives pilots
information about a variety of aviation data. Most electronic
flight bags incorporate a feature called airport moving map that
shows aircraft positions on the airfield.
In return for the funding, aircraft owners are expected to equip
their aircraft to participate in a test bed program that will
evaluate operational and safety data. The in-cockpit displays have
the potential to help reduce pilot errors, which are now the cause
of most runway incursions.
The FAA is also soliciting industry proposals to acquire and
install low-cost ground surveillance systems at airports that are
not scheduled to receive Airport Surface Detection Equipment
(either ASDE-3 or ASDE-X) under current FAA programs. The goal is
to increase surface situational awareness and safety margins at
selected airports by making basic ground surveillance technology
available.
The FAA has evaluated two such systems at an airport in Spokane,
WA. This new procurement will support a pilot project deployment to
six additional airports during 2009. More airports will be added
after a final investment decision is approved. The FAA expects to
make initial awards for the pilot project by the end of August
2008.